Idioms & Phrases

Most errors occur when students take an idiom literally.

• Literal: 'To kick the bucket' (Sticking your foot into a pail).
• Figurative: 'To die'.

LBL Hack: Always look for the 'mental image' the words create instead of the individual words themselves.

Idioms often come from specific historical contexts (Navy, Sports, Mythology).

• Example: 'To show your true colors'.
• Logic: In old naval battles, ships would fly false flags to trick enemies. When they finally attacked, they raised their actual flag (their true colors).

LBL Hack: If you know the 'Why', you never have to 'Ratta' (memorize blindly).

Idioms are easier to remember when grouped by themes.

• Colors: 'Out of the blue' (Unexpected), 'Green thumb' (Good at gardening).
• Body Parts: 'Rule of thumb' (General rule), 'Cost an arm and a leg' (Very expensive).
• Animals: 'Elephant in the room' (Obvious problem ignored).

Watch for prepositions and intensity words.

• 'Make up' (reconcile) vs. 'Make out' (understand).
• Many phrases look similar but change meaning entirely based on the preposition used.